Composite package



Dec. 8, 1964 A. G. STURDEVANT ETAL 3,

COMPOSITE PACKAGE Filed Dec. 4. 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I W F761? INVENTOR A. 6. STURDEVA/VT R E. COPE R. B. VANDERMA/V BY Q E ATTORNEY 1964 A. 3. STURDEVANT ETAL 3,160,326

COMPOSITE PACKAGE Filed D80. 4, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 i INVENTOR A. 6. STURDEVANT R E. COPE R. B. VA/VDERMAN ATTORNEY 1964 A. e. STURDEVANT ETAL 3,

COMPOSITE PACKAGE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 4, 1961 INVENTOR A. 6. STURDEVA/VT E. 6 OPE R. B. VA/VDERMA/V a ATTORNEY 1964 A. s. STURDEVANT ETAL 3,160,326

COMPOSITE PACKAGE Filed Dec. 4, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. .9

INVENTOR 4. 6'. STURDEVANT P E. COPE R. B. VA/VDERMA/V ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,160,326 COMPOSITE PACKAGE Albert G. Sturdevant, Paul E. Cope, and Ralph E. Vanderman, all of Cincinnati, Ohio, assignors to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 4, 1961, Ser. No. 156,910 Claims. (Cl. 222-183) This invention relates to composite packages of the type generally shown and described in US. Patent No. 2,954,901 issued to Thomas W. Winstead on October 4, 1960, and consists more particularly in new and useful improvements in such a composite package designed to facilitate the handling of the package, especially when used in retailing liquid and/or powdered products such, for example, as soaps, detergents and cleaning materials.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a composite package comprising a thermoplastically molded polyethylene inner container closely enclosed in an outer carton of paperboard or the like, wherein the inner container is provided with a suitably located pouring spout which is retractable and projectable through a comple Inentary opening in the outer carton, a portion of the wall of the inner container being recessed or offset to accommodate a handle arrangement formed in t e adjacent wall of the outer carton.

Another object of the invention is to provide a composite package of this nature, wherein a wall of the outer carton is provided with die-cut flaps adapted to fold into an accommodating recess in an adjacent wall of the inner container to form a convenient handle when pouring.

A further object of the invention is to provide a composite package wherein the handle means above referred to may be located in a variety of areas respectively related to the location of the pouring spout to afford ease of handling during the pouring of the contents of the package. I

Still another object of the invention is to provide a carrying handle for a composite package formed by a top flap of the outer carton which is doubled over upon itself and provided with a hand receiving opening.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a lightweight composite package which may be easily stored in stacked relation to similar packages andwhich in use, enables the dispensing ofliquids without splashing, gurgling or dripping, and which is resistant to breakage and to deterioration of the package contents from light exposure. a

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several views:

v FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of one form of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the same composite package in assembled condition;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of a modified form of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the same composite package in assembled condition;

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view of still another form of the invention; A

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of that package in assembled condition;

FIGURE 7 is a view in side elevation, partly broken away, illustrating a modified form of inner container;

ice

FIGURE 8 is a similar view of a still further modified inner container; and y FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken on line 9-9 of FIGURE 4, showing the relationship of the hand-hold flaps with the adjacent molded cavity in the inner container.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGURES and 2, the inner container Ill comprises a thermoplastical- 1y molded polyethylene body of rectangular shape and generally similar in construction to the container shown 'in Patent No. 2,950,029 issued to Thomas W. Winstead on August 23, 1960. However, instead of the heat sealed pouring spout of said patented container, the end wall 11 of the present container is provided adjacent one corner with an integrally formed retractable and projectable pouring spout 12 of substantially funnel-shape and adapted to receive aconventional closure cap 13. Proferably, the neck of the spout 12 is provided with an injection molded fitment 14 which is threaded to receive the cap 13 and that portion of the fitment which is located within the neck of the spout is wax dipped to prevent leakage.

One longitudinal corner of the container 10 is provided during the thermoplastic molding process with an indentation or cavity 15 to accommodate a handle formed in the adjacent outer carton wall, as will later appear, its sides and ends being preferably reinforced by molded ribs 16 for shape retention under the pressure of the liquid contents of the filled container. In this particular instance, the cavity 15 is located substantially midway of the longitudinal extremities of the container.

An outer carton 17 is preferably formed of suitable paperboard, the end closure flaps 18 of which are provided with openings 19, so arranged with respect to one another and to the pouring spout 12 of the inner container 19, that when the flaps are closed as shown in FIGURE 2, the

openings 19 register to accommodate the projection and retraction of the spout 12. In order to provide increased strength during shipment and handling, a four-sided corrugated stiffener 20 is interposed between the walls of the outer carton 17 and the inner container 10 as seen in FIGURE 1. However, it will be understood that this stifiener may be omitted and the outer carton 17 formed of corrugated material to provide the required strength and rigidity.

To facilitate handling of the composite package, the two adjacent walls of the outer carton 17 and the stiffener 29 are respectively provided with die-cut hand-hold flaps 17a and 26a which are shown in FIGURE 1 as swung outwardly along one connected edge. However, while these hand-hold flaps may be folded either outwardly or inwardly, the latter is preferred for. purposes of giving added strength to the handle arrangement. As will be seen, when these flaps 17a and 20a are in registry and are folded inwardly as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2, they lie within the accommodating cavity 15 in the inner container 10 and their free edges either overlap or abut one another, providing a reinforced handle at the longitudinal corner of the outer carton 17. Thus, the fingers of a user pouring from the package, may be inserted through the openings 21 from which the flaps are cut, there be'mg suificient clearance with the walls of the cavity 15 to permit ready insertion of the fingers through the openings 21 in grasping the handle.

The positioning of the handle arrangement just described along the corner of the outer carton 17 diagonally opposite to the location of the pouring spout 12, affords easy handling of the composite package during pouring of the contents thereof. Also, when the spout 12 is retracted into the composite package, a number of packages can be stored and shipped in stacked relation.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the arrangement is essentially the same as that just described, except that the pouring spout 12b is located cit-center with respect to the end wall of the container 19 and midway between its lateral extremities, and the openings 19 in closure flaps 18 of the outer carton 1 .7 are correspondingly changed to accommodate this particular location of the pouring spout. Also, the cavity 15b is located in one side wall of the inner container 1th and accordingly, the die-cut hand-hold flaps 17b and 2% in the outer carton and stiffener respectively, are arranged to coincide with the location of the cavity 15b.

In this form of the invention, one of the end flaps of the outer carton is doubled over as shown at 22 and provided with a cut-out 23 to provide a carrying handlev fastened along the top edge of the outer carton 17 on the same side as the hand-hold flaps 17b and cavity 15b. It will be seen that the handle flap 22' serves the dual purpose of a carrying handle in transporting the composite package from place to place and also, as this flap is hingedly connected to the carton, it can be gripped by one hand of the operator during the pouring operation, while his other hand engages the folded hand-hold flaps 17!; through openings 21 in the side wall of the carton. Such a two-point support is particularly desirable with packages of the larger sizes.

The arrangement shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 is generally similar to that just described in connection with FIGURES 3 and 4. However, in this instance, the carrying handle 22 is omitted and coacting means are provided in the spout end of the outer carton and inner container to facilitate the holding of the composite package during pouring. Here it will be seen that a recess or cavity 24 is provided in the end wall of the inner container It just above the pouring spout 12b. The end closure flaps 15 of the outer carton 17 are provided with cut-out areas 25 forming hinged hand-hold flaps 26, so arranged that when the closure flaps 18 are folded as shown in FIGURE 6, the openings 25 respectively register with the cavity 24 so that the hand-hold flaps 26 can be folded into the cavity and serve in conjunction with the side wall handheld flaps 17b to facilitate pouring of the contents from the composite package.

It will be apparent that the location of the handle accommodating cavity in the inner container may be varied in location and contour, depending upon the size of the container and the particular use for which it is intended. For example, in FIGURE 7 the container it),

is provided in one of its side walls with a cavity 2'7 generally similar to the cavity 1517. However, in this instance, one upper end corner of the inner container is inwardly offset or contoured as at 28 and the cavity 27 is extended longitudinally into this offset corner. With this arrangement, the oiiset portion 28 provides a clearance for suitably located corner hand-hold flaps in an outer carton for holding the composite package at one end while the cavity 27 accommodates inwardly turned hand-hold flaps in the side wall of the outer carton similar to flaps 17b in FIGURES 5 and 6, thus providing a two-hand-hold during the pouring operation.

In some instances, the molded cavities can be completely omitted from the container in and one upper corner of the container inwardly oiiset as shown at 223 in FIGURE 8. In this case, which is probably more suited for small containers, one hand can grip the outer carton through hand-hold openings provided adjacent the offset p'ortionZd, while the other end of the package is supported and tilted by the other hand of the user in pouring the contents of the package.

The sectional view shown in FIGURE 9 is illustrative of the hand-hold arrangements of all of the embodiments previously described. Here it will be seen that the molded cavity in the wail of the inner container lid is contoured to accommodate the inturned hand-hold 'iiaps formed in the walls of the outer carton and the intermediate stiffener, providing sufficient clearance for the fingers of a user to be inserted through the hand-hold openings to grasp the hand-hold flaps. It will be apparent that with such an arrangement, the edgewise overlapping or abutting hand-hold flaps provide a reinforced and stiiiened handle means which greatly facilitates the pouring of the contents of the composite package. As seen in FIG- URE 9, the width of the coacting pairs of hand-hold flaps 17b and 2% is greater than the distance spacing the hinged connections of respective pairs, so that when said flaps are folded into the cavity 15b, their free edges either overlap slightly or abut one another. Thus, the flaps are prevented from face-to-face overlapping by the engagement of their respective free edges, which maintain them edgwise in downwardly converging relation so as to provide increased handle reinforcement through their planar resistance to lateral lifting force. Furthermore, by pro viding these die-cut hand-hold flaps in the wall of the outer carton with the accommodating cavity in the inner carton, the external surfaces of the composite package are devoid of protruding parts which would present problems of storage and shipment.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

We claim:

1. A composite package comprising an outer carton and a separable inner container, a pouring spout at one end of said inner container, a pair of laterally spaced, parallel die-cut hand-hold flaps in a wall of said outer cmton, each hingedly connected along one edge, and a cavity formed in the adjacent wall of said inner container,- positioned to receive said hand-hold flaps when the latter are folded inwardly and contoured to accommodate the fingers of a user when grasping said folded handholct flaps, the width of said hand-hold flaps being greater than; the distance spacing their hinged connections, whereby when they are folded into said cavity, the abutment of their adjacent free edges maintains them edgewise in downwardly converging relation.

2. A composite package comprising an outer carton, a separable inner container formed of plastic material, and a stiiiener member interposed between the Side walls of said outer carton and the adjacent walls of said inner container, a projectable and retractable pouring spout at one end of said inner container, an opening in the adja cent end wall of said outer carton to accommodate the projection and retraction of said spout, at least one set of registering hand-hold flaps in adjacent walls of said outer carton and stiffener member, each flap being hingedly connected along one edge, and a cavity formed in the adjacent wall of said inner container, positioned to receive said hand-hold flaps when the latter are folded inwardly, said cavity being contoured to accommodate the fingers of a user when grasping said folded hand-hold flaps.

3. A composite package comprising an outer rectangular carton having side walls and end flaps, and a separable, rectangular inner container formed of plastic material, closely enclosed in said outer carton, a projectable and retractable pouring spout at one end of said inner container, an opening in the adjacent end flap of said outer carton to accommodate the projection and retraction of said spout, atleast one hand-hold flap formed in one side wall of said outer carton, hingedly connected along one edge, a cavity formed in the adjacent side Wall of said inner container, positioned to receive said handhold flap when the latter is folded inwardly, said cavity being contoured to accommodate the fingers of a user' when grasping said folded hand-hold flap, and a carrying: handle hingedly connected to said outer carton at the longitudinal extremity of said one sidewall.

4-. A composite package as claimed in. claim 3,. wherein said carrying handle is formed by an end closure flap of said outer carton, folded upon itself and provided with i a hand-receiving opening.

5. A composite package comprising a rectangular outer carton and a closely enclosed rectangular inner container, a projectable and retractable pouring spout at one end of said inner container offset laterally toward one side wall thereof, a similarly ofiset opening in the adjacent end wall of said outer carton to accommodate the projection and retraction of said spout, at least one handin said end wall of said outer carton, a similarly offset cavity in the adjacent end wall of said inner container, contoured to accommodate the fingers of the user when inserted through said last-named ofiset opening, a stiffener member interposed between the side Walls of said outer carton and the adjacent walls of said inner container, and a hand-hold flap in said stifiener member in registry with each hand-hold flap in the side wall of said carton, the hand-hold flap of said s-tiifener member being foldable with the adjacent hand-hold flap of said outer carton into hold flap formed in the side wall of said outer carton on 10 the side wall cavity of said inner container.

the opposite side from said offset pouring spout and opening, said flap being hingedly connected along one edge, a cavity formed in the adjacent side wall of said inner container positioned to receive said hand-hold flap when the latter is folded inwardly, said cavity being contoured to accommodate the fingers of the user when grasping said folded hand-hold flap, an oppositely offset hand-hold References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 15 398,234 Cleary Feb. 19, 1889 2,131,714 Woelfer Sept. 27, 1938 2,312,598 Sprague Mar. 2, 1943 3,042,271 Winstead July 3, 1962 

1. A COMPOSITE PACKAGE COMPRISING AN OUTER CARTON AND A SEPARABLE INNER CONTAINER, A POURING SPOUT AT ONE END OF SAID INNER CONTAINER, A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED, PARALLEL DIE-CUT HAND-HOLD FLAPS IN A WALL OF SAID OUTER CARTON, EACH HINGEDLY CONNECTED ALONG ONE EDGE, AND A CAVITY FORMED IN THE ADJACENT WALL OF SAID INNER CONTAINER, POSITIONED TO RECEIVE SAID HAND-HOLD FLAPS WHEN THE LATTER ARE FOLDED INWARDLY AND CONTOURED TO ACCOMMODATE THE FINGERS OF A USER WHEN GRASPING SAID FOLDED HAND-HOLD FLAPS, THE WIDTH OF SAID HAND-HOLD FLAPS BEING GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE SPACING THEIR HINGED CONNECTIONS, WHEREBY 